The gravesite of the mad trapper.
Today our Solitude issue hits the streets and while putting it together the Mountain Life staff often wondered, is there such a think as too much solitude?
Perhaps. Everyone remembers Jack Torrance in Stephen King’s The Shining (Or at least the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation of the same name) and another shining example of how all work and no play is not all that good for a person is Albert Johnson, aka The Mad Trapper of Rat River. Back in the 1930s Johnson went bonkers and started shooting people before leading RCMP on a multiday manhunt across the North West Territories and Yukon that became one of the most famous criminal chases in Canadian history. Johnson eluded the cops for almost three weeks, picking them off with his rifle whenever they got too close. All in all he covered over 240 KM on foot before being shot and killed by the RCMP.
Check out the wikipedia here the RCMP version here, or buy the book here. The book is really good.
- Feet
